College is expensive. Scholarships are free. Here's how to get yours.

It's scholarship season and money doesn't grow on trees. Americans have about 1.4 trillion in unpaid education debt, according to a USA TODAY report.

The Times Herald called some local experts around St. Clair County to get advice for parents and students about the scholarship hunt. Here's what they had to say.

Follow the directions

It seems pretty obvious, put plenty of people mess it up. Scholarship seekers should make sure they're qualified for a specific scholarship, fill out the application completely and turn it in on time.

"Don't procrastinate," said Randy Maiers, Community Foundation of St. Clair County president. "It is actually a lot of work A) to do the research to find the scholarship opportunities and B) make sure you submit a thorough and complete application that meets the deadline."

These deadlines are not arbitrary. Some scholarships are decided by committees that review, discuss and decide on the recipients. If an application is late, the committee won't reconvene and reconsider all the other applicants to accommodate latecomers.

Look for a niche

There are scholarships out there for just about every characteristic, family background, intended field of study, social club and more. Parents should check to see if their employers have any scholarships for its employees' children. Check in with the high school guidance counselor to see if there's some money for graduates of that school. Pretty much any field, skill or hobby has an organization with some money available if you can find where to look.

Maybe a religious organization can help? By the way, Operation Transformation and the Kiwanis Club of Port Huron just announced a $500 Spiritual Life Scholarship and a $500 Community Service Scholarship for seniors in Port Huron Area School District. Contact rhernandez@optrans.org for more information, the deadline is April 2.

Maiers estimated that the Community Foundation of St. Clair County has about $5,000 to $10,000 worth of unclaimed funds each year.

"There are a lot of unique, niche scholarships that sometimes go unclaimed because we don't get qualified applications each year," Maiers said.

If an applicant already knows what school he or she is shooting for, he should contact the school's financial aid office to learn more about institutional scholarships.

Grades matter, but they aren't everything

Having a resume full of extra curriculars, a strong report card and leadership experience always helps. But it doesn't make an application a slam dunk and there may other things to help an applicant stand out.

"Not everyone is a straight 'A' student and those students are eligible for scholarships, too," said Josephine Cassar, St. Clair County Community College director of financial assistance and services.

Many scholarships are interested in students who have overcome personal obstacles in their lives. If the scholarships requires a personal essay, applicants should make sure to use that opportunity to really flesh out their personal story, Cassar said.

All material submitted should have a formal tone, but tugging at the heart strings of the selection committee can go a long way, Cassar said.

Providing well thought-out and complete written responses is key for many scholarships, Sanilac County Community Foundation executive director Melissa Anderson said. The selection committee doesn't know the applicant, so they will be just another generic person unless they cut through the noise, and the essay is a great way to do that, Anderson said.

"A lot of the time you see quick answers that are not very thoughtful or proofread," Anderson said. "We know nothing about you and we need to have a sense of who you are or where you're going in life."

And parents: don't write the essay for you kid — the selection committee can probably tell.

"A 40 year-old's syntax of words is not the same as an 18 year-old's vocabulary, even a very educated 18 year-old," Anderson said. "You can tell it's written in the third person."

These other factors that influence scholarship awards may vary based on the institution running it. For example, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County likes to see applicants who have been involved in serving their community, Maiers said.

"The young people, to us, that stand out are young people who have done something in their short career — they're only a senior — but who tried to make a difference," Maiers said.

Don't pay for a service

There are lots of services that will take your money to help with the scholarship search. They may turn up leads, they're probably not the only place to get that information.

"Never pay for a scholarship search service," said Rachel Verschaeve, Blue Water College Access Network associate director of education services. "There are plenty of free resources."

Local resources

St. Clair County Community college has pages of scholarships available at sc4.edu/money. More information is available at SC4's financial aid page at bit.ly/2DRUZ5z.

A full roster of the Community Foundation of St. Clair County's Scholarships is available at stclairfoundation.org/scholarships. In addition to traditional scholarships, they also offer funding to help with the back end of paying for education, rather than just freshman year.

The Come Home Award gives money as incentive for college graduates native to the Blue Water Area to return home for work. They also offer the Complete Your Degree Scholarship, which focuses on helping students who are having trouble staying in college.

Applicants should also check out the Blue Water College Access Network at its page on St. Clair County RESA's website at bit.ly/2BIaXgH. The network leads workshops, runs a newsletter and helps folks find more information and opportunities.

Students who are searching for scholarships statewide might use the scholarship search tool at michigan.gov/mistudentaid. The "Affording College in Michigan" guidebook may also be worth a read, available at bit.ly/2DTeWwQ.